Crate fastener



Jan. 3, 1956 NVENTOR Joseph tbu United States Parent "ce CRATE FASTENER A Joseph Cibula, Pine Creek Station, Manitoba, Canada Application December 16, 1954, Serial No. 475,609

2 Claims. (Cl. 292107) My invention relatos to new and useful improvements in fastening devices for crates, particularly egg crates, the principal object and essence of my invention b emg to provide a device of the character hcrewithin described Which is extremely simple in operation and which can be engaged and disengaged readily without the necessrty of bending wires, as is usual with this type of fastener.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which consists of a fastening wire and a looking component cooperating together to maintain the lid of the crate closed upon said crate.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economoal in manufacture, and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as Will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relatos as this specifioation proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the aooompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an enlarged front elevation of my device shown upon a fragmentary representation of a crate and lid therefor.

Figure 2 is a view substantially along the lines 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the fastening wire per se.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged front elevation of the looking component per se.

Figure 6 is an enlarged side section of the upper projeetion por se.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate oorresponding parts in the diflerent figures.

The conventional method of looking a crate is to bend a wire through an aperture in the crate lid, said wire then being bent over to hold the lid closed. However, it will be appreoiated that one or two manipulations of these wires causes same to break and in any event, such fastening is not satisfactory or positive in action.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages as will hereinafter become apparent.

Prooeeding now to describe my invention in detail, it will be seen upon reference to the aooompanying drawings that I have illustrated in fragmentary form the front upper portion 1 of an egg crate and the front portion of a crate lid 2, said lid being shown in the closed position. It will be appreoiated of course that the lid is hinged at the rear thereof (not illustrated) in the conventional manner, and that it is grooved as at 2' to receive the lip 1' of the crate.

I have provided a top plate 3 having lugs 4 bent over so that same may be secured to the upper panel 5 of 2,729,488 Fatented J an. 3, 1956 the lid. Between the lugs 4 is an outstanding portion 8, which is angulated inwardly as at 9 at the upper end, thus forming an upper projeetion. A lower projeetion 10 is curved inwardly from the base of the portion 8, said lower pr0jeotion being immediately below said upper'pr0jeotion. In this connection I have provided a recess 6 in the front wall of the box so that any fasten ing when closed is substantially recessed.

I have provided a fastening wire collectively designated ll, which consists of a pair of side portions 12, the lower ends of which are curved as at 13 and adapted to pass through apertures 14 within a lower bracket 15 secured to the front upper edge of the crate within the recess 7. The upper ends 16 of the side portions are formed into a plurality of vertical loops 17 of relatively small diameter, the ends then extendng into an overspanning loop 18, as clearly shown, and it will be seen that this over-spanning loop is adapted to engage over the upper projeetion 9 when the lid is in the closed position. The loop 18, when viewed in side elevation, curves downwardly so that it snaps into position over the projeetion 9.

A looking component collectively designated 19 consists of a length of resilient wire formed into a loop 20 medially the ends thereof, the ends 21 then passing through the vertical loops 17 and being curved as at 22 to retain them through these loops which then act as pivotal supports for the looking component. It will be appreciated that the loop 20 is also adapted to engage under the lower projeetion 10 when the lid is in the closed position.

The looking component 19 is so designed that the upper portion 2) of the loop 20 normally lies in a plane above the lower projeetion 10, so that in order to engage this portion of the loop under this projeetion, the loop, which is resilient, must be forced downwardly and then slipped under this lp, thus firmly looking the lid to the crate.

in operation, the lid is closed whereupon the portion 18 of the fastening device is pushed against the outstanding portion 8 of the top plate 3, which aots as a cam and allows the d0wnwardly curved portion of the loop 18 to slide thereover and engage behind the upper projeotion 9. The loop 20 of the looking device is then engaged under or behind the lower projeetion 10, thus closing the lid firmly. To disengage the loop 20 is pulled downwardly and outwardly to disengage same from underneath the lower projeetion 10, whereupon the looking component may be pivoted outwardly va the loop 17 and an outward pull initiated which disengages the loop 18 from the upper projeetion 9 so that the lid can be raised.

Since various modifioations can be made in my invention as herenabove described, and many apparently widely difierent embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the olaims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the aocompanying specifioation shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A fastener for egg orates and the like, oomprising in combination with a crate and hinged lid therefor, a top plate secured to said lid, a fastening wire secured to said crate below said top plate, and a looking component cooperating between said fastening wire and said top plate adapted to maintain said lid in the closed position, said top plate being provided with an upper and a lower extendng projeetion, one above the other, and a major portion therebetween, said fastening wire consisting of a pair of substantially vertical side portions secured by the lower ends thereof to said crate, and an over-spanning loop extendng between the upper ends 0) said. sdq.13ortigns, said. L p. adapted t.o e.ngage. o,ver. said upper projection, means adjacent the upper ends of said side portions adapted to pivotally support the ends; of. said; lo,cking: component, said; locking compe-- n.ent; c0nsisting of a,resj lient wire looped medially: the

ends there0f, said loop: adapted to. engage under said 4 2. :v e a, .qq .d ng, tQ lam 1, in, whi h said. means takes the form of at, least one vertical, relatively small loop in each of said side members through which the ends of said locking component are adapted to pass. 5

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

